The BEST episodes of The Twelve Kingdoms
Every episode of The Twelve Kingdoms ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Twelve Kingdoms!
Nakajima Youko is your average somewhat timid high school student. One day, a strange man named Keiki appears before her, swearing allegiance. Before she could properly register what was happening, demon-like creatures attack Youko and her friends, after which they are pulled into a different world. A world unlike what she has ever known. Separated from Keiki, Youko and her friends must do whatever they can if they wish to survive in this new world.
#1 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Nine
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/11/2002
Youko and Rakushun are reunited, and go to see a kaikyaku teacher who, with Rakushun, explains more about the world. Youko's fate is uncovered. Fighting invading youmo, she meets King En.
#2 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Three
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/23/2002
Attacked on their way for judgement, Youko uses the mystical sword Keiki gave her. Escaping, the three are befriended by a native woman who feeds and clothes them, then offers them work in another town. On the way Youko has another vision.
#3 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Final Chapter
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 7/9/2002
King Kou defeats himself: King En and Youko rout the false queen of Kei and Youko, reluctantly, agrees to take her rightful place. Keiki restores Yuka to Japan, where she finds a strange boy whose art looks like a map of the 12 kingdoms.
#4 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Twelve
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 7/2/2002
Finding out about the last queen of Kei, Youko doubts her own ability to rule wisely. Yuka finally finds out how King Kou has used and betrayed her, and stops fighting against Youko.
#5 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Eleven
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/25/2002
En's minister explains to Youko and Rakushun Enki's story, and how he came to choose the King of En.
#6 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Eight
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/4/2002
King Kou changes Yuka's appearance so she can fight Youko without being recognised - then sends bird demons to do the job when the two young women are on board ship. A larger demon fights the birds, and Yuka changes back to merely human.
#7 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Six
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/21/2002
Rescued by the rat half-beast Rakushun, Youko recovers and Rakushun tells her about the world of the 12 Kingdoms. Together they head for En, where they will be more kindly treated. Yuka is betrayed.
#8 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Five
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/7/2002
Yuka believes herself to be the chosen one instead of Youko, and takes up with the kirin Kourin. After Youko and Asano are separated, she tries to kill Youko, but injures her instead.
#9 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Four
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/30/2002
Takki, their apparent saviour, has less innocent plans for Youko and Yuka than getting them work in an inn. While they make their escape, Asano meets another kaikyaku (people from our world), an old man who arrived before the end of WW2.
#10 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Seven
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/28/2002
Youko saves her travelling companions, but Rakushun is hurt. Youko takes up with the entertainers she'd met previously, as their guard. They arrive at the port for her to take ship to En, but it's full of officials looking for her.
#11 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter One
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/9/2002
Haunted by a recurring nightmare, timid, red-haired Youko feels like an outcast, then becomes one after the stranger Keiki appears and swears fealty to her before she is carried off by a winged creature to another world.
#12 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Chapter Two
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/16/2002
Youko, captured and on her way for judgement as an evil kaikyaku from the sea, meets up with classmates Yuka and Asano, who were also transported here but separated during a demon attack.
#13 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter One
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 10/29/2002
The kaikyaku Suzu has lived as a slave to the harsh Lady Riyou for 100 years. After her father, the cruel King of Hou, is executed, Shoukei loses her immortality and is cast out. Youko prepares for her coronation.
#14 - Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - Reminiscence Chapter
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 7/16/2002
Rakushun instructs Youko in the history of the world in which she is to play such an important role, and summarises the story so far.
#15 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter Nine
Season 1 - Episode 32 - Aired 1/14/2003
Believing Youko to be responsible for the death of Seishuu, Suzu arms herself and determines to face her. Shoukei heads for Wa Province, not knowing the offer of work and a place to stay for refugees is from the evil Shoukou.
#16 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter Ten
Season 1 - Episode 33 - Aired 1/21/2003
Suzu joins the resistance against Shoukou. Shoukei is unknowingly saved by Youko when she nearly gives herself away. Shoukou tasks Asano with finding Youko, since he knows what she looks like.
#17 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter Eleven
Season 1 - Episode 34 - Aired 1/28/2003
Asano leads Shouko to where Youko has been staying, with disastrous results. Meanwhile Suzu unwittingly instructs Youko, causing her to rethink her actions and determine to do better in future.
#18 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter Twelve
Season 1 - Episode 35 - Aired 2/4/2003
Suzu and Shoukei finally connect and find they have the same objectives. Still in disguise and seeking Enho, who has been abducted by Shoukou, Youko meets the two young women and the resistance at an inn.
#19 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter Thirteen
Season 1 - Episode 36 - Aired 2/18/2003
The fighting begins, with the resistance proving itself tactically brilliant. Shoukou finds himself under siege and in considerable danger.
#20 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter Fourteen
Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired 2/25/2003
Shoukou surrenders to the queen. Asano tries to redeem himself by delivering a message to Shoukei's rebels, but they are already on the way. Youko, Suzu and Shoukei finally all meet.
#21 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Chapter Fifteen
Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 3/4/2003
Youko reveals her identity to Suzu and Shoukei, and their developing friendship is confirmed. The Imperial Army arrives - to Youko's alarm, as only she is supposed to be able to mobilise it. They realise there is a traitor in the court.
#22 - A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn - Final Chapter
Season 1 - Episode 39 - Aired 3/11/2003
Queen Kei, having learned much about her world, her kingdom, and most of all her people, takes her rightful place, on the throne and in control. Her first order is to rescind the rule of prostration except on official or formal occasions.
#23 - Sea God of the East, Azure Sea of the West - Chapter One
Season 1 - Episode 41 - Aired 7/26/2003
En starts to tell Kei and Rakushun a story about his early years as king, when Enki was kidnapped to force him to act like a true ruler by Kouya, who he'd met as an orphan child who'd been taken in and raised by a youma.
#24 - Sea God of the East, Azure Sea of the West - Chapter Two
Season 1 - Episode 42 - Aired 8/2/2003
Showing surprising astuteness and wisdom, En starts to do what is needed at the same time as advancing to Gen Province to rescue Enki. Lady Ribi, En's insider imprisoned with Enki, tries to help him escape.
#25 - Sea God of the East, Azure Sea of the West - Chapter Three
Season 1 - Episode 43 - Aired 8/16/2003
Trying to escape, Enji finds Atsuyu's father imprisoned and starving - though unable to die as he's an immortal sen-nin - by his own usurping son, and realises that his trust in Atsuyu is misplaced.